Thread by @HMAesq

Knocking doors today on the campaign trail with my wife @rabiahmahmed, I was again struck by how much voters still have such a strong emotional reaction to the #travelban. Everyone remembers this very local, yet very national issue.

Some people look down, shaking their head. Others grimace, as if stirred by a painful memory. One thing is clear: it reminds people of the message they all received that night: "You're not welcome here."

I never liked that message. Judging from the crowds at Dulles that night, neither did Virginia.

Running for office forces you to think. I need to remember why I'm doing this, and so I think a lot about why I became an immigration lawyer, and ultimately why I'm running.

It's because of that message, "You're not welcome here."

I was a tall, skinny brown kid from North Carolina. We were a curiosity more than anything else, but we were generally welcomed. I went to @CarolinaFriends School, founded in the 1960's as a purposefully integrated school.

I learned to be proud of my bicultural "tandoori fried chicken" heritage, and enjoy learning from others. I was an international studies major in college at @UNC Chapel Hill, studying Arabic, French, and Mandarin Chinese, and dabbling in several others.

I met people from around the world, and we welcomed everyone. At @TulaneLaw, I was drawn to the cases where plaintiffs overcame a law that tried to unwelcome them. I was drawn to immigration after I discovered I could use the law to roll out the welcome mat to America.

We must aspire to be a welcoming community, Commonwealth, and country. It's not easy, but nothing worth doing ever is.

The pain in voters' faces when I remind them about the travel ban - that's why I'm running.

Help me roll out that welcome mat.

hassan4va.com